What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPunica Granatum Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantBisabolol
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion StabilisingPelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
MaskingCucumis Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeHydrolyzed DNA
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
MaskingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingWater, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed DNA, Parfum, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Benzoate, Adenosine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSmilax Medica Root Extract
TonicCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingOctyldodecanol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDimethicone
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed DNA
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantMadecassoside
AntioxidantMagnesium PCA
HumectantZinc PCA
HumectantManganese PCA
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Alcohol
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dipropylene Glycol, Distarch Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Smilax Medica Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Octyldodecanol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed DNA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Adenosine, Sodium PCA, Madecassoside, Magnesium PCA, Zinc PCA, Manganese PCA, Disodium EDTA, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Dna yet.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water